Vancouver Canucks analysis: Signing Thomas Vanek is a risk worth taking

Vanek’s Offense will make Canucks Hockey Exciting

Trust me. Vanek will make Canucks hockey at least half-enjoyable this coming season.

The 33-year-old has multiple 30-goal seasons, including a couple of 40-goal seasons. He even has two seasons in which he scored at above a point-per-game pace. In his entire career, he has never had fewer than 40 points per season, regardless of injuries or ice time.

You can probably count on Vanek scoring at least 30 points and 15 goals this season even in Vancouver. This simply is enough to make Canucks hockey a little more entertaining next season.

Vanek’s style of play, the way he gets those points is even more enticing for Vancouver hockey fans.

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Vanek, at 6-foot-2 and 218 pounds, is one of the best at being the net-front presence on the powerplay.

The sheer number of goals that come from Vanek tipping the puck in front is impressive and that is thanks to his mix of size, experience and skill that Vancouver has lacked for so many years.

I mean if Vanek means no more Sutter on the powerplay, we can all forgive Benning, right?

It’s not that Vanek only scores by tipping pucks and jumping on loose rebounds in the crease. Though more than half of his goals have come from banging in rebounds and tipping pucks in the slot, Vanek shoots at an elite level as well.

Last but not least, Vanek is one of the best shootout men in the league. Career numbers show that he has been successful in the shootout 52.3 percent of the time and did not miss a single time last season. With both him and Sam Gagner in the fold now, expect some good shootout results in Vancouver this season.